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A great family game that gets you moving

If you want to a laugh and keep yourself warm on the cold winter evenings play Samba de Amigo on the wii. I bought this a couple of weeks ago and everyone in the house has played on it loads, as have any guests. Its really quite a cute game because you use you Mii and they dance along whilst you play the maraccas. In the instructions booklet is a nice little story giving background to the game, but its not really a necesary read. Basically the wii remote and a numchuck (or an extra wii remote) act as marracas. You have 6 circle aims on the screen and when the ball drops through the circle you have to match the circle by shaking the "maraccas", and at the end you get a score on how well you've done. There are loads of tunes to chose from and at the start some of them are locked but you can unlock them by playing mini games. Tunes include Mambo no 5, livin de vidi loco (that one from Shrek!), Labamba etc and loads more.There are loads of different ways to play, single player or multiplayer. There are also mini games like pinata and volleyball. You can also have a career which unlocks games and tunes. On the main play as well you can also chose whether to do original (just shaking the maracas) or hustle (dance moves will appear on the screen as well as the maraca shaking). The latter is definelty cause to turn the central heating off - an excellent opportunity to save on you heating bills!I've also seen (but haven't ordered yet) maracca attatchments for the remote and numchuck.It is good and players do look amusing when concentrating and dancing, however I'm not sure how accurate the sensors are. It seems to register most of the moves but when my youngest has ago he just randomly shakes them (he's a bit too young to follow the beats accuratley) and always gets the highest score so whilst it great fun I wouldn't take the scores that seriously.

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Originally released on the Sega Dreamcast this game came with a mat and two marracas that plugged into the console and was a great party game so I was not surprised when they released this interactive game on the Nintendo Wii. You can purchase the marracas that the Wii-motes fit into but these are just for effect and do not make any difference to the gameplay. If you do not own two wii-motes you can also play this game with a wii-mote and nunchuck. There is also the ability to play two player which just contributes to the fun.

Samba De Amigo was fairly pricey when it was first released but over the past 6 months has dropped dramatically in price and is currently on sale at HMV for £6.99

You play the game as Amigo the monkey and the aim of the game is to hit as many notes and poses the computer throws at you in time with the music. At the end of the song you are awarded with a grade. The game is very simple and if you can get the moves to register properly it is very easy to achieve A's.

There is also a section that holds mini games so this is a great game for parties. includes new features such as the ability to dance as well as shaking those marracas! The soundtrack is packed full of samba greats that all ages will know and love.

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A fun game, especially with a second player, but it is let down due to it's inaccurate controls.

**This review is also on Ciao, under my username "MonsoonBaby88"**

Want an energetic, fun game that makes you look pretty silly in the process? Then look no further then "Samba De Amigo." Created by the Sega team, Samba De Amigo first graced gaming systems on the short-lived Dreamcast console in 2000. The Dreamcast version featured two maracas that's motions were picked up by a sensor bar that is plugged into one of the slots on the front of the console. Eight years later, the Samba De Amigo is released once again but is updated to work with Wii controls.

Samba De Amigo is a perfect choice for the Wii. Unlike the Dreamcast version, there are no wires needed, due to the Wii operating wireless controllers via the sensor bar that is positioned either at the top, bottom of the television. Players are able to use the Wii mote and nunchuck combination to work as the two maracas, but there is an option of using two wii-motes instead to make it a completely wireless experience. To make them look more authentic, the player is able to purchase third-party made covers that can slip on top of the controllers to make them look like they are holding a pair of maracas. These are often not much more than £5 for the pair.

Gameplay is exceedingly fun for the most part. There are six target areas that are displayed on screen, with the notes that need to be hit emerging from the centre. These target areas are arranged in a hexagon-shaped pattern which allows you to aim for high, middle, or lower targets, depending on where the note is heading. In order to hit these high, middle or low areas, the wii mote/nunchuck must be tilted upwards, straight ahead, or faced downwards. These controls can be rather frustrating at times however. For first time players, the controls seem a little complex, and thus take a while to get used to. Once they are picked up after a few sessions, the controls are quite easy to keep up with on the easy and medium difficulties. However, problems are run into when the player encounters the hard and superhard difficulties. Typically with harder difficulties on rhythm games, the notes come faster, and require more accuracy in order to hit the notes and progress. With Samba De Amigo on the Wii though, it the Wii mote does not always register fast changes from the upwards, straight forward and downwards motions, meaning that many notes are missed, which could forbid you passing the song. This is one game that would really benefit from the Wii's new "Motion plus" controlling, which allows for a more accurate judge of where the wii controls are being aimed.

This version on the Wii supports the Wii's "Mii" system, allowing for the players created character to join in with the dancing along to the catchy in-game music. These Mii's are also supported in the online version of Samba De Amigo, that sees Wii players from all over the world competing against one another. This mode is incredibly fun. The songs included in Samba De Amigo are catchy and varied, and make the player feel like they have been transported to an exotic location. Many of the songs are quite familiar, such as Reel Big Fish's cover of "Take On Me" which proves to be one of the catchiest tracks on there. With 44 songs available, the player has plenty to get on with, however more songs are available to download via the Nintendo Wii Marketplace.

Samba De Amigo happens to not only be a rhythm game, but a bit of a workout too. OK, not as gruelling as Wii Fit perhaps, but after playing a hour or so of this game, you will notice how much your arms are aching from the game. For the more lively of players who feel the need to dance along to the beat, you may find yourself breaking out in a sweat too. The Hustle section of the game is where you will feel the exercising benefits especially. This requires the player to dance in front of the tv whilst trying to match the dance-moves that are being displayed. This involves players frantically swinging their arms up, down and around in order to get the Wii-mote to pick up their moves.

Samba De Amigo is an enjoyable game, even through the flaws of the control system. However, it really depends on what type of gamer you are if you enjoy it or not. Samba De Amigo requires a lot of energy, and players that do not mind making a fool of themselves in front of a TV screen. It is also best enjoyed when played as a two-player, or as a party-game or ice breaker in groups. This game does not require the expensive plastic instruments that most other rhythm games require, and the game itself is also of a reasonable price. You can now get it for less than £10 in most shops. The songs are all incredibly catchy and it is hard not to dance in front of the TV whilst playing this. Samba De Amigo is definitely worth a play, even if the controls can mess up from time to time.

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Brill game, well worth the money!!

Samba De Amigo is a great game for the wii!! I first played on this game at my friends and loved it so much that I went out a bought it!! It's also great value for money as mine only cost me £4.99 brand new!!

The basic principle of the game is that the wiimote and the nunchuck are maracas!! There is a choice of lots of different songs and you have to shake the maracas on the right dots. It is a very similar principle to a dance mat but you are using your hands instead!! After each song you are given a rank for A- E and high ranks help you to unlock new songs!!!

This game is great for a girlie night in and will be alot of fun, laughter and games!! Go on give it a go and I'm sure you will instantly LOVE IT and become addicted!!!

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Good fun

The basic idea behind this game is to use your nunchuck and wii controller as maracas and shake them in the right places in time to the music. If you get the rhythm spot on you get more points than if you only get it in the right place. The music is varied and brilliant, feel like you are on holiday, there is Rhianna Pon de Replay, Ricky Martin, Mambo Number 5, all the usual suspects for latino dance music. The controller and nunchuck are quite sensitive and actually work quite well when you shake them. You can pick this game up for about £12 in some places and it is well worth that. It is suprising how all of the family like this game and get really into it. Really good fun to watch the men in the family dance around with "maracas"! There are lots of different games on it, one player, 2 player etc. and different levels of difficulty such as low medium and hard and to be honest, they are quite hard!! Overally a great game!

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greato to play with your mates

Samba DE Amigo is a fantastic game which seems like it has been made for the Wii! I can't imagine it on any other game console. The premis of the game is to shake the wii remote and nunchuck like maracas in time with the music. The more you play the more you are required to do, such as strike poses and dance.

When shaking the remotes you either have to shake them up, down or to the side. This can be quite frustrating as sometimes it doesn't recognise what you have done which ends up costing you points (maximigos.)

The game comes with quite a varied selection of songs and you can unlock more by playing the game. This leads me to one thing I don't like about the game. This is the fact there are loads more songs avaliable to download over the wii however you will be charged to do this.

Playing multiplayer is the best way to play this game and leads to alot of fun with lots of different games to play. Single player is good but can get quite boring quickly without someone else there to play with.

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If you can get it for a bargain, it's worth it

The basic premise is that you use the controller and the nun chuck as maracas, and shake them in time to the music. You get to pick songs to shake along to (unlocking more songs as you go along).

Little circles will appear on the screen, directing you not only as to when to shake, but also where you should be shaking them. The game also includes random poses that you must strike for additional points within the song.Throughout the duration of the song, you can keep an eye on your point level (the game will grade you, for example A, B, C, D etc).

There are different difficulty levels which makes it more accessible for all the family (or silly girls having had one too many glasses of wine)!

I think the biggest issues with this game is that the graphics are maybe a little too chaotic. They are fine once you have the hang of what you are supposed to be doing (it doesn't take long to figure out), but if considering this game for younger children (or maybe grandparents!), it might become a bit boring if they can't get the 'knack' of it straight away.

It is a cute game (and for the price I don't really think you can go wrong), but like so many of the Wii games, it really is better suited to groups of people playing. It is fun for a few goes, but does get boring after a short while.

If you can pick it up for £7-£10 then it is worth it, even if it is just to get the elderly relatives 'shaking it' at Christmas!!!Don't bank on it's longevity though! There is only so much flailing your arms around that people can take!

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for the money, it's not a bad game.

This game may put a lot of people off from the title of it. The idea of dancing around the living room, shaking remotes to samba music isn't everyone's cup of tea, but for less than £10 from most stores now, this is a suprisingly good game.

The idea is to shake the wii remote and the nunchuck in time with the music, which sounds simple, but you have to do it while holding your hands in different positions (high, middle, and low). On easy mode, it is a gentle introduction to the game with the challenges being the easier songs and the gameplay being only high and medium positions. Then the fun begins. The songs get harder and faster, and the low position is slowly introduced to make it even more challenging.

This game is very challenging, and it will take a while to complete everything, which for less than a tenner, is great for a game. The only downside is that the nunchuck can sometimes not choose the correct position on the screen, so i would suggest using two remotes.

The mini-games that are included are excellent too. At the moment, we can't stop playing the volleyball game, which uses simple controls and adds a new dimension to the Wii.

Overall, a great game with some good quality tunes, and at a bargain price, you can't go wrong.

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i love this game not only is it fun but its a good work out aswell i play samba de amigo every other day the music on this game is so upbeat i just have to dance as i shake the remote its one of my favorite games on the wii.

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A fab fun game though a little sad when you get booed

Shake your maracas this game is so much fun, it is much easier if you let the rest of your body move as well. You get maracas to stick on top of your controller and nunchuck and shake it. There are about 40 songs a lot of which are very popular and you will recognise straight away Nintendo have also brought out a bunch of song packs to download in case you get bored. There are several different modes to play in casual is fun to start but career unlocks certain songs. With every turn you get a rating to show you how you are doing. The Wii monkey dances faster and more characters gather if you are doing well but if you fail he pulls a little sad face. The game works by you shaking to the rythm up down and middle to either side or if you are very good two maraces at one side for extra points there are also several liltte side games to play like pinanta and volley ball it is the best value game that I have found for the wii and has provided many nights of fun

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Good fun or workout for the family

This game is the most fun I've ever had with my family at christmas - even the men joined in which seemed at first to be a game which was ainmed at women.Played with the Wii nunchucks as marracas, the training mode helps ease you into the game demonstrating shakes, poses and a chance to gain your rhythm.The game can be played alone or as 2 player to a selection of classic and modern songs which fit in with the "samba" theme of the game (e.g hot hot hot, la bamba, to the more modern pon de replay and chumbawumba)With practice coordination becomes better however the positioning of maraccas to the screen is quite sensitive resulting in a few missed poses/shakes and lost points.I however would not recommend this for younger players as although dancing along to the music may well be fun many of the songs/moves can be complexed.This game also gives a good workout so be prepared to be breathless and sweaty.

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This game is ace, the only thing which lets it down are the controls.

Samba De Amigo may not be such a popular Wii game like Mario Kart but it sure is fun! The songs are recorded by a team of professional singers and nothing is a copy!

Samba De Amigo isn't only a game, it's a family game! You can play this in multiplayer mode. Though this may only be two at a time, the other people can just dance around or even laugh at the peoples attempt to hit the correct rhythm.

All together, the controls are simple but difficult to master. The basic idea is that you shake the Wii-Mote and Nunchuck in different directions as if you are holding Maracas. You do not need to push a button. Sometimes the censor may not pick up the correct direction you are shaking which can be a downfall.

Songs... songs... SONGS! The songs in this game are brilliant quality all together - you may as well have the live band with you! Just so you don't get bored, there is also a "Story Mode" which you can play to unlock more songs. Easy mode and normal mode are reasonably easy to do. As soon as you reach hard mode this is where the game becomes nearly impossible. The reason for this is that the censors do not always pick you up.

So, if you are interested in Latino music like Samba and Salsa this game is for you! It is fun for the whole family and trust me... you won't put it down for hours!

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A lively rhythm game although a little frustrating at times.

Having recently got my early Christmas present of a Wii (thanks Santa!) I signed up for a free trial of a game rental company so that I could try out some games before parting with any of my hard-earned. Okay, you got me, before parting with any of the money that work pay me to sit and write reviews on Dooyoo or read my book. Hard life, I know.

The first game I received off my list was Samba De Amigo, which I had read about on Amazon and was expecting some kind of a Dance Dance Revolution without the mat. That kind of game never normally appeals to me at all; I suppose I wanted something that would make good use of Wii's motion control remotes. Unfortuntely the controls are really what lets this game down, however fun it may be.

WHAT DOES THE GAME INVOLVE?During the game you use either two Wiimotes (recommended) or a remote and a Nunchuck in place of maracas (you can actually buy them but as you'll learn the controls are poor anyway so I wouldn't suggest it) which you shake either high, low or central and left and right according to the instructions on screen.

As you progress, the gameplay gets considerably faster and you also have to strike poses (as demonstrated by the imaginatively-named Mr Pose on screen) or do dance movements with your arms. If you perform each move at the right time, your rating of course goes up, if you miss you get booed!

Career mode has easy, normal, hard and superhard mode, and each of these have a several levels named after characters from the game eg Amigo the monkey, Bingo & Bongo or Chumba and Wamba. Who comes up with these names?! Each level has a different Latin song, including several familiar ones such as Smooth, Hot Hot Hot, Bombaleo etc.

There is a very detailed training routine which I recommend before attempting the game as you need to get the hang of the temperamental controls.

You can also choose Quick Play in which you can choose any song you have previously unlocked (through career mode) or one of two multiplayer modes - which can be played against the computer if you don't have a friend who wants to look silly. Finally there is Survival Mode, in which you perform as many songs as possible with only a certain number of mistakes allowed.

There are also some mini games such as a game which only includes the dance moves, one which only includes poses, a whack-a-mole game which they worked into the theme by calling it Guacamole, and a few others.

CONTROLS, SOUND AND GRAPHICSI know this was a huge hit on the Dreamcast, where it came with a maracas attachment and I believe was priced extortionately and became something of a cult so I'm told. You would think with Wii's motion control that it would be perfect, not needing any new attachments. Sadly the controls don't always pick up what you're doing.

The theory is that you hold the remotes (I really don't recommend using a Nunchuk in your left hand, apart from anything else the wire would get in the way) pointing up when instructed to shake the top one, down for down and straight ahead as you would use a TV remote for in the middle. A ball rolls towards a circle marking whichever position you are going to take up, and when it gets there you shake your remote. In the initial stages it works okay, but any faster, even in normal mode, and some actions don't get picked up on. I find it especially frustrating as the game then boos at you! This mostly occurs for me for the middle notes, it's hard to strike a balance between being up or down and despite holding the remotes in several different ways, there'll always be a couple of notes that you lose.

Obviously being a music game, sound is of huge importance and the game does this well. Most of the songs fit nicely into the Latin theme, although a couple are odd...Pon De Replay? Really? I am not a fan of the boos as I said earlier, especially when it's not my fault the remote doesn't understand what I want it to do! Generally it's a fun and lively soundtrack with the odd whoop and Spanish word thrown in for good measure.

Graphics like most Wii games aren't hugely advanced, but it's supposed to be cartoonish and fun which it achieves nicely. The game isn't taking itself too seriously either in graphics or sound, and that's okay because the whole point of the game is waving your arms around looking like an idiot!

OVERALL IMPRESSIONI actually really enjoyed this game, which surprised me. I must add though that I have only played it so far in an empty house. I think I would be a bit embarrassed to be caught playing it because you do look like a total fool dancing around doing what a cartoon monkey tells you!

It is a pretty big game, there's lots of songs to choose from including some well-known favourites and while it does get quite fast and hard towards the end, there is plenty of content for younger or less agile players! The mini games are a nice touch but none of them overly entertaining, and it's nice to be able to just pick a song and go if you don't want to work on career mode or have a particular favourite.

The game is quite tiring and definitely a good workout!

Despite frustrations with controls, the game is pretty fun and think I might consider buying it when I return the rental version.

WHERE CAN I GET IT?Samba De Amigo is currently on sale at Amazon.co.uk for £17.61 and I believe is also part of a deal where you can get it for just £10 if you buy a Wii console. Obviously it is also available at any good games retailer, although the RRP is quite a bit steeper at £39.99. At Amazon's price, it's an absolute snip for a really fun game that will keep you busy for quite a while.

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Fun, but frustrating.

I am a big fan of rhythm games. This one is a bit annoying/difficult, though.

First, the basic principle - you are shaking your maracas along with various samba songs. Some of the songs are samba classics. I read the track names, say 'whuh?', but they're all familiar tunes (and I know nothing about Samba!). Some of the songs are samba versions of non-Samba songs, which can be great fun.

You have three positions for each arm (up, middle, down), and you need to shake your maracas at the right time, in the right position, to get points. Sometimes you have to get into a set position, sometimes you have to dance.

All sounds good, right? Not so much.

First of all, the interface. You are made to 'calibrate' the inputs. But really, the game is just showing you how you need to hold the wiimote and nunchuk, for it to count in different positions. Why not be clear about this?

Secondly, they're really quite fiddly, and they don't give you very good instructions. To be in the 'up' position, you need to have your controllers *pointing* up. They don't have to be up at all. Ditto for medium and flat.

Thirdly, it's really hard! I'm good at rhythm games, but I'm finding it difficult to get everything unlocked. I think it's interesting to have some harder levels, of course, but people want to unlock everything, so they can have a laugh dancing to a Samba version of Groove is in the Heart. Why make it so difficult?

The music is good, though. Thankfully!

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Love this game, worth the money and gets you in the dancing,singing, party mood

I don't know what words I can use to describe how much fun this game is. I seen it on the t.v and wanted it and I wasn't disappointed when I bought it. Definately a party game, I had people round last week and we ended up playing this all night without even noticing the time, it's such a laugh....just make sure you don't have someone taking photos because with all the moves it does make you look a bit daft so I found out!! The music is brilliant and most of the songs are well known. OK so now onto the downfall of this game ............... Your arms will be in absolute agony the next day from all the shaking and moving but at least you know you're getting a work out which actually is another bonus. I think this game might be a bit hard for kids with the music a bit fast for them to shake the remotes about quick enough but it would be something they could get used too. You don't get access to all songs at first you have to work through the game to unlock more and more songs. Sometimes the nunchuck doesn't register your moves but 9 times out of 10 it works